Ship In A Bottle
by Sarcastic Chipmunk
Summary: Seven has left Chakotay, and he tries to win back the heart of Kathryn. But will she choose him or a new love?


Ship in a Bottle  
  
*Note...if you don't like who Janeway ended up with, please don't complain. I put it in there for a reason, to compare it to  
  
Chakotay's relationship with Seven. Not because I thought it was a great pairing. This story is not for Chakotay-Seven  
  
people! That said, read on!  
  
~~~  
  
To: Chakotay  
  
From: Annika Hansen, Ensign  
  
I do not believe our present situation is working out. My faculties are not being challenged, and both your talents and  
  
mine are going to waste. This planet is not worth wasting time on. Thus, I have decided to accept a post at the  
  
Federation Institute for Warp Theory on Mars.  
  
She'd left him. True, he had a career as an archaeologist that nearly rivaled that of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's, but...what was  
  
the point when he had no girlfriend, no future? He had a giant adobe house in Marrakesh to share with nobody except his three  
  
cats.  
  
Looking around, he noticed the ship in a bottle on the table. Joe Carey's ship in a bottle, that Kathryn had then given to  
  
Chakotay. That was an idea. He'd go back to Kathryn. She'd always wanted him, he was sure. Maybe join the crew of  
  
Voyager again. He was technically still on leave. Why not go back. He began his letter of resignation to the University of  
  
Marrakesh.  
  
"Commander Chakotay reporting for duty," he barked, expecting a smile from her.  
  
Instead, there was none. In fact, she looked quite unhappy.  
  
"Take your station, Commander."  
  
~~~  
  
He'd gone in the back door of the mess hall, searching for something to eat. Even though they were back in the Alpha  
  
Quadrant, most of the crew still had a penchant for eating there. Some had gone so far as to program angla'bosque and leola  
  
root casserole into the replicators.  
  
"I don't know why he came back," he heard a voice, familiar. Tom Paris. "Doesn't he know he has no friends here anymore?"  
  
"It was disgusting how he started his relationship with Seven," B'Elanna replied, "I mean, I always respected Chakotay, at least  
  
until he started with Seven. But I mean, she'd only been liberated from the collective three or four years. Emotionally, she was  
  
a ten year old. It was sick."  
  
"Yeah," Harry now, "I thought Seven was beautiful, but even I understood that I couldn't have a relationship with her when she  
  
propositioned me. She was too fragile. Too young. Even the Doc realized that, and I think of all of us he would have been  
  
most appropriate for her, since he himself had only been alive seven years."  
  
"Yeah, it hit a little too close to paedophilia for my tastes," responded Tom.  
  
Silence for a minute at that thought. Then B'Elanna spoke up.  
  
"Did Chakotay ever tell you about New Earth?"  
  
New Earth, a blissful two months where Kathryn could hardly keep her hands off me, he thought to himself triumphantly. He'd  
  
almost had her there.  
  
"Chakotay told me all about how the Captain could hardly keep her hands off him, and how the only thing that was stopping  
  
her from flinging herself into his arms was the last remnants of protocol from the ship," B'Elanna murmured, "But when the  
  
Captain told me about it later, the story was entirely different. She said he kept trying to start a relationship with her though she  
  
obviously wasn't interested. He built her a bath, he tried to give her a neck rub - she said she stopped him after a minute, he  
  
wanted to build a boat for her, he told her this long story about how his life was dedicated to serving her. If I were the Captain,  
  
I would have thought it was a bit creepy."  
  
"It isn't totally unlike Chakotay," he heard Tom murmur, "Remember how obsessive he was over Seska? Disobeying direct  
  
orders, and putting Voyager in jeopardy?"  
  
Chakotay silently slipped out the door.  
  
~~~  
  
"Kathryn," he began, "I have the crew shifts ready right here."  
  
"Captain," she automatically replied.  
  
"Pardon?" he asked, a bit unsure as to what she'd just said.  
  
"You will address me as Captain."  
  
He swallowed, "All right, Captain, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the party on the holodeck at 1400 hours with me."  
  
"I'm sorry, I can't."  
  
"Too much work again? You need to relax, Kath- Captain."  
  
"No, not work. Don't worry, you'll see me there. If there's nothing else, you're dismissed Commander."  
  
~~~  
  
He'd dressed up, sprinkled expensive cologne over himself, and dyed his hair again. When he was pursuing Seven he'd dyed it  
  
a stark jet black to cover the peppers of gray hair that had started to appear on his scalp. He looked sexy.  
  
In the holodeck, a tropical resort was programmed. Tom and B'Elanna were dancing, Icheb with Naomi, the Doctor playing  
  
with Miral on the beach, a dozen other crew members paired off. His Kathryn would be there, alone, nursing an Espresso  
  
Explosion as she wistfully watched the couples dancing and playing with their families.  
  
"Harry," he heard a low voice behind him as he entered, unmistakable, "You know, I always thought you were the most naive  
  
member of Voyager. At least, until Seven came along."  
  
"I know, Kathryn," came the reply. "Seven years can change a man a lot. Then again, two months has definitely changed you."  
  
"I wish Chakotay had never come back," she replied, "He'll eventually find out about us..."  
  
"So what? I love you, Kathryn."  
  
"And I love you too. Maybe it will be better if he finds out, puts his hopes to rest..."  
  
Chakotay peered over a large flower arrangement. Harry and his Kathryn were engaged in a long, drawn out kiss.  
  
He turned and left the holodeck, his face red, his eyes smarting. Going to his quarters, he found his few possessions, took  
  
them, headed for the transporter room. With a few keystrokes, he was back in his adobe home in Marrakesh. This time, there  
  
weren't even the cats. He'd given them away when he had decided to return to Voyager. His shoes were kicked off, his coat  
  
removed, almost robotic. He let out a yelp as pain shot through one foot. He looked down. A piece of glass had sliced  
  
through his skin.  
  
The ship in a bottle was smashed on the floor.  
  
~~~ 


End file.
